Rough
by Fardarrig
Summary: It's mating season, and Gamzee is affected badly by the raging hormones. ! warning ! noncon, slight violence. It has an m rating for a reason.
1. In Heat

Mating season was a fact of life for trolls. It came around every year, and while each troll matured differently, eventually all of them came to be affected by it.

To be honest, it didn't mean much, beyond an urge to copulate and a slight discomfort if they didn't, and so long as one's heat - the time of month a troll was most fertile - didn't overlap with the few days a year they were super horny, it wasn't an issue.

But this was Karkat's first experience with mating season; he had always matured slowly, in relation to his friends. Even now, he was still one of the smaller trolls. But that wasn't the point; the point was, he didn't know what to do. He was restless and anxious, and he felt like he needed to do something, but he didn't know what, or how, or why.

Unfortunately, Terezi and Kanaya did know what to do, and both of them had their flushed quadrants filled. So the two he would potentially ask for advice on how to handle it alone - there had to be a way to reduce the tension - were busy, and he certainly wasn't going to go harass them while they could be in a compromising position.

Which left only one possible troll, who was probably in a similar situation to himself, with no matesprit. And while a moirail was platonic, at least a feelings jam could probably sort out a couple things, and get their minds off it. And maybe Gamzee even had some advice for spending a mating season alone! It was only a week, after all. But he was certain his clown must have some idea on it.

So he began the great search for his idiotic moirail, spanning the length of nearly the entire meteor twice, finally hearing a faint honk in one of the emptiest corners. No one came back this way anymore, though he could see one of Eridan's old capes crumpled against the wall. The knight scowled, displeased with the location; this wasn't really an ideal spot for a feelings jam, but he supposed beggers couldn't be choosers.

"Gamzee! Get the fuck out here, I want to - _Oomph_!" Karkat grunted in surprise, cursing when his back hit the floor hard. "Fuck, Gamzee!" he snarled, grabbing handfuls of black hair and struggling to pull his older friend from where he seemed to be...smelling his throat ? "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Shock of shocks, Gamzee ignored him, one hand slipping under the smaller troll's black shirt, lingering at the slight curve of his waist, the other hand reaching to curl around a horn, thumb rubbing gently along the sensitive base. Again, not surprisingly, Karkat tensed; first of all, Gamzee was being a bigger douche than usual. Secondly, that sort of motion...well, generally, it was reserved for matesprits.

"What the fuck!" he yelped, pulling harshly on the wild hair he still had in his hands. "Get off, you piece of shit clown! I'm not interested!" They were moirails. Palest of the pale. Which gave him an idea that should have been obvious, and he released his friend in preparation to pap him into forced relaxation.

Unfortunately in so many ways, Gamzee realized what he was trying to do, and seemed greatly displeased at the idea, if the speed in which he had pinned his hands was anything to judge off.

"Douche!" Karkat snapped, bucking his hips in an attempt to knock Gamzee off. Glowering up, he noted a distinct lack of makeup, which regularly meant the other troll was having a bad day and Karkat should have visited him earlier if he had any hope of calming him down. Usually on days such as this, the other boy was restless and angry. But usually his bad days didn't overlap with mating season. "Get the Hell off me! I just came here to talk to you! You're so stupid, fuck -"

"Shut up." Gamzee's voice was dangerously quiet, and the younger male paused, examining the face above his. The Capricorn seemed more off than usual. His eyes were unfocused, and the flush on his face was hard to miss, and that...smell….it was actually making it really hard to focus…

Oh, fuck.

"Are you in heat?" Karkat demanded, disbelief evident on his face. "You can't be fucking serious."

"I SAID SHUT UP, MOTHERFUCKER." Karkat winced at the noise, and the grip on his wrists tightened, bruising him. Of course, when he felt teeth against the soft skin of his neck, he was far more concerned with that than a bit of squeezing.

The knight shrieked in pain, clutching at nothing with confined hands, as the purple-blood sank his fangs into the spot where his throat met his shoulder.

Not that Karkat would know, being a virgin, but rustbloods, and even midbloods, didn't do this "marking" of matesprits. Only highbloods were prone to such aggressive claiming, making it clear to others who might be interested later that they weren't the first. And letting them know that there was the chance they might be back to take what was rightfully theirs, if they even let it go to begin with. Typically, the scar didn't fade, and if it did, well. The highblood would simply have to make a new one.

What Karkat did know - other than the fact there was candy-red liquid dripping steadily over his shoulder onto the ground beneath him - was that, rumors had it, bluebloods were rough to pail with. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but reportedly it was tough on lowbloods bedded by highbloods. Fucking great. Perfect.

Gamzee ran his tongue over the seeping wound, and Karkat resisted the urge to whimper. That sick fuck of a clown would probably get off on it. Asshole.

"Let me go, Gamzee," he tried to sound firm, but his voice shook, and the Vantas felt his friend smile against his throat. The expression was confirmed when he lifted his head, and Karkat resisted the urge to gag at the sight of the bright fluid smeared at the corner of his mouth. Ugh. How fucking gross could you get?

"Fear looks motherfucking beautiful on you, best friend." And then he was kissing him, oh no, no, no, please, this wasn't what their relationship was supposed to be. Karkat struggled, squirming, trying to pull his hands away from a troll that was genetically stronger than him by so many levels there wasn't even a point in trying. But oh, fuck, he couldn't risk losing his palebro, his moirail. Gamzee needed him to be pale, so he could pap him down when he got too angry, and he needed Gamzee to not be murdering his friends. Really, really important. Probably in the top five most important things he could even think of.

The older troll ignored the fussing, just tightening his grip on the smaller troll, forcing his tongue into the mouth beneath his. Only to jerk back, cursing, his dark blood visible on the kiss-swollen lips he'd just abandoned.

"You little motherfucker," Gamzee practically hissed, squeezing Karkat's wrists till the younger boy cried out in pain, bones creaking under his hold. Which seemed to be enough for him, either satisfaction with the warning - 'I could break you without breaking a sweat' - or with the mutant's pain. It was hard to tell, but either way, he decided against shattering the fragile bones of his moirail's arms, pressing his mouth to the wound on his throat again.

Karkat shuddered at the sensation of his tongue, distracted by that until he realized Gamzee was in the process of sneaking a hand down his pants, the other still tight around his wrists. "Fuck off!" he practically squealed, arching his back in a desperate attempt to get away, a red blush burning on his cheeks. "Don't touch me!"

Luck had never really been on Karkat's side - possibly because Vriska had claimed all of it - and Gamzee simply seemed amused at his displeasure, if the giggle was anything to go off. Yeah. He was giggling. What a prick. The split second of righteous fury Karkat felt at the fact his moirail was literally laughing at his discomfort, was the time Gamzee needed to travel the few inches and wrap his fingers around the slender tentabulge, prompting a gasp from his prisoner.

But the older troll paused, seemingly startled by something, as it curled around his hand immediately in response to the contact. "You're so motherfuckin' small," Gamzee whispered in awe, and Karkat felt his face heat up further, embarrassed and angry and wishing desperately he could just die here and now. Despite his best efforts at staying calm, shivers began racing through him, and he bit his lip to keep from crying. He wished he was anywhere but here.

One small blessing, was that, now that he had a grip on Karkat's more private regions, the purple-blood seemed to have decided it was safe to release his hands. Which was sort of true; Karkat was honestly rather shaken by this point, and it was automatic that his bruised arms reached for his moirail, wrapping themselves around his neck as he trembled, eyes clenching shut, cheeks still burning in shame. It wasn't terribly difficult to see he was terrified; fuck, he probably would have been scared even if it was consensual. Whatever he talked, he was probably the most romantically inept of their entire fucking group.

But his moirail was supposed to help him when he was scared, to pity him, to protect him. Gamzee appeared to have little interest in doing so, but Karkat didn't know what to do but reach for him, drawing hesitation from his friend, who apparently was still aware enough to feel a splinter of guilt.

"Shh, shh," Karkat felt Gamzee remove his hand from his pants, but he couldn't stop shaking, burying his face further in the crook of the older boy's neck. "You're okay, best friend. I'm not gonna motherfucking hurt you." A sob in response. Ugh. Gamzee sighed, trying to quell his frustration and his urge to_ just get motherfucking on with it, already_. Clearly the little miracle blood wasn't going to fight him, why was he wasting his time with this worthless nonsense?

Because Karkat was his moirail, he tried to reason with himself, trying to rationalize his urge to comfort him. It had been sort of okay when he was angry, and okay, a little scared, but now that he was crying...Gamzee had to at least try to calm him down, even if he wasn't willing to stop. The urge to mate was just so motherfucking _overwhelming_. It was a struggle to even focus on this, focus on anything beyond fucking Karkat into the ground. Even sopor didn't cloud his mind this much. And sopor certainly didn't make him this impatient, this overwhelmingly hot and frustrated and _horny_. He just wanted a bit of motherfucking relief, was all. Could Karkat really blame him? And his best friend was so _motherfucking adorable and helpless_. How could he resist?

"You're alright," Gamzee mumbled, nails running gently up the younger boy's sides, getting great pleasure out of how soft he was...it would be so easy to tear into his skin, feel the blood ooze out around his fingers...no, no, _no_. He was trying to make him relax, not traumatize him further. "You motherfucking trust me, right, Karbro? I won't hurt you." Karkat didn't answer, and Gamzee had to bite down on the irritation that bubbled up inside. _How dare that little bitch ignore him_. No, no, he was just scared and confused, it was fine, it wasn't a big deal. He would be calm. Calm, calm...calm…. "Don't be getting your motherfucking cry on. I'm here."

"Fuck you," Karkat spat, digging his nails into the other male's back, furious. _Bullshit_ he wouldn't hurt him! He'd already fucking bit a chunk out of his goddamn neck. Why the Hell should he believe anything from this asshole of a juggalo?

Evidently this was the wrong thing to do. Wow. Surprising. The response actually wasn't what bothered Gamzee. It was the sudden bite of sharp nails that triggered his anger, and he ripped the the smaller troll away from him and forcing him on the ground again, wrists pinned once more, a knee forced between his legs roughly. Karkat cried out in fear, eyes wide and filled with red-tinged tears, which only made Gamzee angrier, frustrated that his friend wasn't willing to even consider enjoying this. That little fucker. It was a motherfucking HONOR to pail with him. Even if he didn't realize that now, Gamzee would make fucking certain he understood when they were done.

Deciding he didn't really think Karkat was capable of fighting him off, he let go of the younger boy's wrists again, pretty much so he could rip his shirt off. The fabric tore easily enough, promptly another curse from the owner of said shirt, as the rag - all it was good for, at this point - was tossed away. During mating season, Karkat wasn't allowed to wear clothes, Gamzee decided, fingers wrapping around the waistline of his partner's trousers. Pretty much lifting him up, as one would a child, Gamzee stripped him of his jeans, ignoring the swears dripping from his captive's pretty lips, and his weak attempts to pry his hands away. Pfft. Motherfucking pathetic.

Boxers were torn away easily enough, shredded in the removal process, and Karkat hastily moved to cover himself, whatever good he thought that would do. To be honest, he wasn't really sure what else he _could_ do, at this point. Everyone else on the meteor was preoccupied, and even if they weren't...did he really want them to see him like this? But he certainly couldn't just give in!

Watery eyes watched Gamzee closely as his own pants dropped, bunching around his knees and revealing an admittedly large tentabulge. No wonder he'd seemed surprised at the size of Karkat's, which was still and curled against his thigh, as though the smaller troll thought he could possibly hide it. "Don't you dare," he warned, when the purple-blood grabbed his hips, his own hands finding the other boy's wrists in an attempt to slow him down. It did basically nothing, proven by Gamzee's snicker as he pulled the younger troll closer, lifting his hips so his tentabulge could seek out the smaller. Which it did, quite happily, intertwining tightly and squeezing _hard_.

The bard hissed at the sensation, his fingers digging into Karkat's hips till his claws punctured him, blood surfacing. The younger troll wailed, the mixture of pain, pleasure, and fear making his back arch, clutching at the older male again, clinging to him while the larger tentacle surrounded his and squeezed, constricting and making him babble pleas to keep going and stop all at once. He didn't want this, but oh, fuckk, he didn't know how to handle all the things happening to his body. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Karkat could tell well enough as the grip on his length loosened, and he began to breath a sigh of relief until he realized the tip of it was wiggling into his nook, letting a startled squeak out at the realization. Apparently Gamzee took that to mean go for it, and the entire bulge immediately, in response, plunged into the tight opening.

The knight choked on his scream, entire body tensing, convulsing, at the unexpected intrusion. Oh, it _hurt_. It was way too big, and he was certain he was bleeding from the rough entrance. He could feel it, wiggling inside him, deeper and deeper and - "_Ahh, fuck_," he gasped into the other boy's shoulder, eyes jolting open again, unsure where the sudden burst of pleasure came from - "_Ahh_ - No, Gamzee! You have to -_fuckme_! Fuck! Stop, please, I- _nng_ -"

The hero of rage snorted in amusement at the jumbled begging, pulling his hips back slightly before forcing his bulge back in, its girth stretching his best friend further than likely comfortable. Genetic material provided more than enough lubricant as the juggalo pounded his friend roughly against the floor, Karkat quickly becoming unintelligible, apparently focused on trying to hold on as tightly to Gamzee as possible, arms flung around his shoulders and the back of his neck. Even his lower regions reached for Gamzee, the slender red tentacle writhing against his rapist's stomach, leaving streaks of pale red over his skin.

He wasn't surprised when the younger boy arched in his arms, crying out as he came, his tentabulge and nook literally dripping genetic fluid. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Gamzee. He came, yes, mixing purple with red. But it didn't help with the desire to mate, to pail. So he kept going, ignoring Karkat's begging for a break, for something, some sort of rest, pounding his exhausted friend until the knight of blood was barely coherent.

It was common knowledge among adult trolls that, as one got higher on the hemospectrum, one inherited more strength and stamina. This, in whichever light you decided to view it, meant the highblood trolls would continue fucking their lowblood partners far after the less intense lover had lost consciousness. Unfortunately, sex education was limited on the planet, and so, neither Gamzee or Karkat had realized this upon beginning. Not that Karkat had any sort of say, anyway, but the point remains.

Karkat was fighting darkness by the time his friend finally slowed down, barely aware of the contented purr coming from his moirail, and the comforting hands threading through his hair. "My beautiful motherfucking matesprit, so motherfucking perfect and angry...you aren't mad, are you? My pretty little miracle." The long fingers curled around the nubs of horns, rubbing affectionately at their base, and Karkat let out a reluctant sigh, body slumped against Gamzee's, unwilling to even think about what had just occurred. He was so tired...


	2. Clean Up

It was reluctantly that Karkat started to rouse from his stress-induced coma, due to a strange, throbbing pleasure, a persistent warmth...Still half asleep, his eyelids fluttered open… to find himself face down, Gamzee leisurely fucking him from behind, a puddle of genetic fluid already pooling under them. "Fu-uck," the Cancer mumbled, closing his eyes, instantly exhausted all over again. Not that it had ever really stopped; he had no idea how long he'd slept, but it hadn't been enough to recover.

"Motherfucking miraculous," Gamzee grunted against his shoulder, hot breath puffing against cool skin as he rocked into him. Karkat didn't bother to respond, trying to focus on breathing and staying awake, brow furrowed in concentration at the simple task.

Apparently sensing displeasure from his moirail, Gamzee reached to curl his fingers around the younger boy's tentabulge, coaxing his friend into relaxation. Sort of. It was honestly just that he had zero energy to fight with. Not that it had even accomplished anything the night before. But the small, hushed moan seemed to satisfy his asshole juggalo, if nothing else.

And in other news, Karkat was having a Hell of a time getting his limbs to work at all. He just felt heavy all over, and he was already starting to fade in and out of consciousness, struggling to remain aware of what was happening to his body.

Yeah. That didn't happen.

Gamzee didn't realize immediately that his friend wasn't conscious. It was probably a few moments after he recovered from climax that it hit him, that he hadn't gotten any response from the Vantas in ages, the body limp beneath him, unmoving. Shifting to sit, he pulled the younger boy onto his lap, leaning over his shoulder to look at his face.

Hm. The purple-blood frowned at the fact his friend wasn't stirring at all, and a color-slicked hand grasped his chin to pull his face towards him. He couldn't be tired, still, could he? Gamzee had let him sleep for hours. Had he hurt him?... A quick glance at the clot on his shoulder, sore and angry-looking, made him wince. Of course he had hurt him. He'd enjoyed hurting him. And of course he was fucking tired, the younger boy never slept properly, and he'd just put him through emotional and physical Hell. Fuck.

Carefully placing the smaller troll on the color smattered floor, Gamzee rolled to his feet, glancing around to try to figure out where he'd put his pants. Not far enough, it looked like, judging by a couple purple and red stains. But his were further than Karkat's; his were a goddamn mess, clumped in a pile, practically covered in genetic fluid. Well, not fluid anymore. Dry and stiff. Great. Yanking his on, he decided Karkat didn't really need his pants, anyway. Seemed a shame to cover up someone so pretty.

Gamzee didn't even bother looking for his shirt, and he vaguely remembered shredding Karkat's, so no point in trying to locate it. Deciding there wasn't much of a point in searching for anything else, he returned to his friend, carefully lifting him like one would a child.

It seemed to wake Karkat a little, the sensation of being moved, and he mumbled something, obediently wrapping his arms around his friend's neck, and his legs around his waist at some gentle coaxing. Then Gamzee was pretty sure he passed out again, if the heavy head resting against his neck was any indication.

And then they were off, sticking to the shadows, despite the fact Gamzee was nearly positive the rest of the household was still enjoying mating season. The exception was perhaps the Mayor, but he certainly wasn't a real issue. Fairly oblivious. But if anyone else caught them... he could only imagine their reaction to Karkat's current condition. So he moved quickly and quietly through the meteor, avoiding the more public areas with the skill of someone familiar with hiding.

Closing the door with his foot, he glanced around Karkat's bedroom, a frown on his face. Well, he couldn't just put him down like this, still damp and covered in purple and red. He'd stain anything he touched, so it would probably be better if Gamzee washed him off a bit before he let him sleep… anyway, that bite on his shoulder definitely needed cleaned.

So he set to running the bath, struggling to juggle his friend - light or not, he was motherfucking hard to hold with one hand - and turn the water to the correct temperature. But eventually he managed, and carefully deposited the younger boy into the water.

On one hand, it wasn't terribly difficult to wash Karkat. The color rubbed off at the slightest touch, turning the water a pale reddish violet, and since Karkat didn't stir, it meant no arguments. On the other hand, Gamzee was getting up close and personal, hands all over his younger friend, and his heat wasn't nearly over yet. The only reason he was able to resist at all was because he had been thoroughly satisfied the night before, and because his moirail was worrying him so.

But despite his concern, he had to fight not to join the smaller troll in the tub, fingers grazing over the soft skin even after the marks had been washed away. "I'm sorry, my miraculous blooded brother," he just about sighed, trying to stifle the urge to take him again, when he couldn't complain or even raise a hand against him. His fingers paused in their journey once they reached his shoulder, before drawing away, scowling. Maybe if Karkat wasn't so motherfucking weak, he wouldn't have hurt him so badly.

Despite his sudden irritation, when Karkat shifted in the water, he automatically reached for him, fingers pressing to his face, shushing him. The red-blooded troll settled down immediately at his touch, which sent a fresh spike of guilt through him at the knowledge he was acting as though he were in two quadrants with his friend. He knew it wasn't fair, it hadn't been right, to force his moirail to be flushed with him. But he adored his friend in every sense of the word; he wouldn't have picked anyone else during his heat, even if there was an option.

Lifting his friend from the dirty water, he wasn't fazed in the slightest about getting wet, way more distracted by the way Karkat nuzzled into him, automatically reaching for his moirail. It was only natural for him, and it made Gamzee's heart clench unpleasantly. Fuck.

Setting his friend on a mass of blankets and pillows in the back corner of the room, the clown withdrew from him only reluctantly. He hated to leave him. But if he didn't wash himself, it would have made the younger boy's bath and his own internal struggles worthless. If he wasn't going to try to keep him clean and comfortable, he might as well just keep fucking him.

So he quickly took care of cleaning himself, before staggering back into the room, terrified that the Vantas might have left already. Gamzee's shoulders slumped, relieved to find his friend curled up in the soft pile, clean and peaceful. Settling in, the clown wrapped himself around Karkat, tucking the smaller boy against his chest, trying to relax so his friend could recover. He just hoped it wouldn't take too long.


	3. Just Sleep

Karkat whimpered at the aching as he woke up, hiding his face against harsh, artificial light. Ugh. Why did he hurt so badly? His shoulder… fuck! His eyes shot open, body instantly tense. Yes, there was definitely someone behind him, if the arms circling him were anything to go off, and who else would it be but his douchebag of a moirail? Fucking…

Carefully, Karkat set to prying the clown's long arms from off him, biting back cries as he broke open the clots on his shoulder. Fuck, it hurt. He froze when Gamzee stirred, not breathing out even after he seemed to settle down again.

The small-horned troll rolled off the blanket pile clumsily as he finally freed himself, letting a gasp out despite himself as his shoulder was pressed to the floor. Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck.

"Karbro?" Gamzee's voice, sleepy and confused, came behind him, and the mutant jerked to his hands and knees, eyes huge. "Where are you going?"

Karkat couldn't seem to make his mouth move, frozen in place, as his friend opened his eyes to see him. Instantly Gamzee zeroed in on his shoulder, and though the younger boy hadn't looked at it, he was well aware of how much it hurt, so he was sure it didn't look awesome.

"Why are you motherfucking moving around?!" Gamzee sounded panicked, struggling from the pile of cloth onto his feet, so he towered over his smaller friend. "You need to sleep!"

"I'm fine!" Karkat's voice came out in a squeak, falling back onto his ass. "I'm fucking great, Gamzee! Just go back to sleep!" His hands came up automatically in defense of his face when the larger troll reached for him, making his moirail draw back in horror at his fear.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Gamzee sounded rather pathetic, and while it bit at Karkat, he refused to look at him. Fuck him. He said that the...night...before?... fuck, he had no idea how long he'd been asleep, or how long he'd been with Gamzee. "But you need to stop moving." And then he was caught again, and Karkat let out a sobbing curse as he was lifted against his moirail's chest, carefully, like he was fragile and would break.

"Let me go, Gamzee, let me go," Karkat pleaded, struggling weakly against his friend as he settled them both back into the pile of cloth. "I don't want to do it again, don't make me."

Gamzee's arms tightened around him, and Karkat let a pained whimper out, making him instantly relax, shushing him gently. "I won't make you do anything you don't want to motherfucking do, don't cry, Karbro, don't cry."

Karkat hadn't even realized he was until his moirail said it, red-tinged tears rolling heavy down his cheeks. "Let me go," he repeated, but he sagged against the highblood holding him, breathing slightly labored. He was so tired, and everything hurt...his hips, his shoulder, his head...why wouldn't Gamzee leave him alone? Hadn't he gotten what he wanted?

Gamzee wasn't quite as good at working his chucklevoodoos as he should have been by this point; his dancestor had more practice, he knew, but sopor had dulled his own abilities to the point Gamzee wasn't certain they'd ever recover completely. Nonetheless, he was more than capable of lulling his friend to sleep, even if Karkat put a noble effort to the contrary, mumbling pleas for release as he dozed off.

Fingers ran through the knight's soft, fluffy hair, marveling at the peaceful expression on the previously anxious face. Maybe...maybe Gamzee could keep Karkat asleep until mating season was over with? Then he should have plenty of rest to heal, and he wouldn't even remember what happened during the week. Yeah! That seemed like a motherfucking genius plan. Karkat would be proud of him for thinking of it, thinking ahead, thinking of someone else as opposed to himself. Motherfucking perfect.

* * *

"Nasty," Dave muttered, eyeing the mess of purple and red on the floor, nudging a stiff clump of black cloth with the toe of his shoe. "I found something, guys," the blonde raised his voice, glancing behind him, to where his girlfriend appeared to be...smelling the wall. Shocking. But generally she had good reason for such intent sniffing, and since there was no red chalk to be seen, he had to assume she was investigating her own leads.

Kanaya, on the other hand, had been calling for Karkat at the other end of the hallway, Rose at her side, voice echoing in the lonely halls.

No one had been immediately worried upon leaving their rooms when the small, angry troll wasn't to be found. As Kanaya noted, he was likely embarrassed by the prospect of walking in on any of them during their...activities, and was avoiding the public areas to be safe.

But it had been...days. No one had seen hide nor hair of him, and after kicking open his door - Rose noted it had been unnecessary, considering it wasn't locked - they began to feel concerned that he wasn't around.

"Oh no," Kanaya breathed out, horrified, illuminating the area fully as she got within steps of the stains. "Oh, no, no, no, No, NO -"

Rose was instantly wrapping her in her arms, pulling her taller girlfriend's head down to her chest, shushing her. "Kanaya, we don't know what happened. Don't freak out. Karkat's fine, I'm sure."

"Most of it isn't blood," Terezi's nose wrinkled in disgust as she crouched down, and instantly her green-blooded friend was silent. Dave glanced over to his sister and her matesprit to see the vampire frozen, eyes huge.

"He didn't."

"It's definitely genetic material," Terezi said reluctantly, forehead creased. "But I can smell tears, and this," her finger swiped along a more opaque patch of red, smeared on the ground. "is definitely blood."

"I'll kill that clown," Kanaya hissed, removing herself from Rose's grip, practically shaking with rage. "How dare he lay a finger on his moirail, this goes beyond his past indiscretions, it is absolutely…" As far as Dave could tell, she couldn't even remain coherent at the thought, a furious growl ripping from her throat, clawing at the air.

"Wait, wait, wait," the knight of time lifted his hands, as though he were trying to fend off their theories, snorting in disbelief. "You aren't saying that the juggalo and Karkat did the do." Right. Like the tiny, angry troll was mature enough to even consider having sex. Honestly, Dave wasn't certain he even knew what it was, however foul he spoke.

"We are saying Gamzee forced himself upon Karkat," Kanaya bit out, turning away from the color soaked floor. "As you should know, Dave, if a matespritship is real, no tears or blood are spilled. Gamzee has done something atrocious." Shocking, that he would do something morally questionable.

"And I find it hard to believe Karkat would jeopardize his moirallegiance because of hormones," Rose pointed out, a frown turning the corners of her mouth, resting a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder in offered comfort. "He's too serious about keeping Gamzee sane."

Oh. "Fuck. _Fuck_."

Unfortunately, if anyone knew how to hide, it was Gamzee. Terezi could catch a whiff of him occasionally, and Rose could swear she heard one of the famous Karkat tantrums, but once they reached the room she thought she heard him, there wasn't a trace.

Days passed, and hope began to dwindle, everyone becoming more desperate as time passed. Even the Mayor got into it, scampering down the halls at the slightest noise, imaginary or otherwise.

But they only found him because Gamzee wanted them to.

_Honk_.

"Did you hear that?" Rose glanced at the other blond, arching an eyebrow in question. They'd split off into groups to try to locate them, a fresh search that allowed more ground to be covered, but still kept them from being alone in case they did happen to stumble on an unbalanced clown.

_Honk_.

"Yeah." And then they were running, following the sound, till they ended up in the first place they'd looked. Karkat's room.

He was curled up, and fuck if he wasn't in bad condition. The shirt he was wearing was obviously the Capricorn's, and thus, three sizes too big, hanging loose and revealing a badly infected wound on his shoulder. Clearly the troll hadn't been eating well, and black bruises darkened his thighs, in various stages of healing.

"Oh, fuck." Dave muttered, kneeling down next to the unconscious troll, reluctant to touch him for fear of making it worse. "What the Hell happened to you, man?"

"I'll go get Kanaya. Don't leave him," Rose was already backing from the room, and he heard her break into a run as soon as she got through the doorway, footsteps echoing loudly.

Dave had no idea what to do in this situation, his hands hovering inches over his friend, like he could heal him with sheer willpower. He wasn't certain how long he had been sitting there worthlessly before the rest of them were there, and then he was moving out of the way for Kanaya, who apparently was more capable than he was in a crisis, if the medical kit she had in her grip was anything to go off. She had apparently been expecting this, or something like it, since she got right to work on the Vantas.

Everyone stood in silence, aside from the occasional request from Kanaya for an item not in reach, until the slender troll stood up again, offering a heavy sigh.

"Is Karkat going to be okay?" Terezi's voice betrayed how anxious she was, and a quick glance affirmed her knuckles were white on the hilt of her cane.

Slowly, Kanaya nodded, leaning against Rose heavily, seeking comfort in her matesprit. "He should be okay in a few days. We'll just need to be careful with him, and I don't think he's eaten since we last saw him."

Which was fucking awful news, actually, Dave realized, glancing over Karkat. The troll had never been large, but now he looked fragile, like if a breeze blew too hard he would fracture. Shit.

"That fucking juggalo," the Strider practically breathed, fury welling up inside him. How could he do something like this to the one person who could still stand to be around him? How dare he do this. Karkat _trusted_ him. And he did _this_?! Unbelievable.

"He won't be going near Karkat again," Kanaya agreed firmly, upper lip curling in disgust, sharp fangs glinting in the light. "_Ever_."

Dave could swear he heard a mournful honk from somewhere above them. No one else reacted, though, so maybe not.


	4. Wake Up

It was actually a fight for who got to watch Karkat when. Not because no one wanted to. Actually, it was the opposite; _everyone_ wanted to. All of them were blaming themselves, for being too caught up in their own hormones to realize Karkat had needed their help. After much heated arguing, they finally settled into a mostly tolerable schedule. Someone would always be with him, waiting dutifully for him to open his eyes and flip the fuck out. Making sure he was eating enough, though to be honest, Dave had been a little uncomfortable with that at first. Still, it became routine quickly enough, and he lost any embarrassment he might have had within the first evening.

Though concern continued growing as the days stretched on. Why wouldn't he wake up? Kanaya assured Dave they just needed to wait, hopeful despite the fact hope had fucked her over before, and, anyway, what else could they do but sit around? They'd tried waking him up, but he didn't stir in the slightest, even on the one occasion when, alone and suddenly desperate, Dave had tried to shake him into consciousness.

He was mostly healed, otherwise, though. The wound on his shoulder, while still present, was no longer infected, and the other bruises had almost all faded, thankfully. Dave was certainly glad, considering the helpless rage he felt every time he saw any of the injuries.

The Strider had just relieved Rose for a break, settling down next to the nubby-horned troll, when he heard the first honk. It was faint, and it wasn't altogether unusual to hear something from Gamzee, so he disregarded it, instead rambling on about something that definitely didn't matter in the slightest. But his sister had told them that Karkat might be able to hear them, that it might help. Anyway, it was better than sitting in silence.

When the honk came again, louder and obviously closer, Dave tensed, his story dwindling off into nothing. Maybe Gamzee was just passing through. Nonetheless, he activated his strife, the sword falling into his waiting grip. He really, really hoped the juggalo was just going by, not coming to visit or something equally suicidal. Dave didn't really have any desire to splatter Karkat with purple.

When the blond heard the honk in the hallway just outside the door, though, he suspected he didn't have much choice. Maybe...he could spare Karkat from being witness to it? They really weren't sure how aware he was, and Dave definitely didn't want him to wake up to any less-than-pleasant scene…. So. Maybe he could meet Gamzee out in the hall and deal with it there? Sounded like as good a plan as any.

Cautiously opening the door, he stepped against the wall quickly, in case Gamzee was waiting for him and had attacked. Nothing. Narrowing his eyes, he swift-stepped to the far wall, glancing around, red eyes narrowed. No sign of Gamzee…

_Honk_.

Dave was only able to avoid the club due to his high strung childhood, and he mentally thanked his Bro for the intense training as a kid, leaping to dodge the Makara's attack. Whirling around again to see his assailant, he narrowed his eyes, lips pursed in displeasure. Not really what he wanted to do right now, but he supposed he didn't have a choice in the matter. And...

Wow. Someone looked more like shit than usual. None of his make up, thinner than usual, and obviously desperate. He looked awful. But that certainly didn't mean he wasn't still dangerous, and Dave stretched his sword in front of him, a warning.

"Don't go you dare come near him." No sense in any long, thought out speech, or witty quip. That was all he wanted and needed to say: he was not letting this fucking clown near his friend so he could hurt him again. Not now, now ever.

Gamzee didn't appear terribly threatened by the blade, considering he stepped forward, towards the doorway. Dave was instantly blocking his way, sword pressed against his throat, upper lip curled in anger. "I said fuck off, you stupid clown!"

Ignoring him, the Makara stretched onto his toes, leaning into the sharp edge to try to see his moirail resting on the blankets. "Is he any motherfuckin' better?" his voice was hoarse, and Dave narrowed his eyes behind his shades. Ugh.

"He's fine. Now back the Hell up."

No movement. "I just need to see him, I'm not gonna hurt him."

"No."

That got a response, and it was by reflex alone that he dodged the club this time, no coherent thought involved as it shattered the wood of the doorway above his head. Gamzee wasn't moving to hurt, though, but take advantage of the distraction, trying to lunge past him as the human tried to recover from the attack.

"Fuck you!" Dave snapped, slamming the hilt of his sword against his assailant's chest, knocking him back a step. But it wasn't even a second before Gamzee was going after him, and _fuck_, was he fast. He hadn't been up against anyone like this since Bro. "I'm not letting you hurt Karkat again!" The knight ducked another blow, kicking out and catching the clown in his stomach. Didn't flinch. Shit. How was he so strong?

"I didn't motherfucking mean to hurt him!" the Makara sounded frustrated, smashing a club against the Strider's side, making the blond bite back a gasp of pain, staggering back a step. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_. "He was just… I just…. I just want to see him! Why's a motherfucker got to be go and getting in the way?"

"Because you fucked him up, you asshole!" Cool purple blood splattered on Dave's freckled cheeks as he caught Gamzee across the chest in a shallow cut. "He still won't wake up because of what you did to him!"

"He won't wake… up?" The troll seemed to freeze, eyes wide, mouth falling open. "Why?... he should be awake… by now…" The clubs slipped from his hands, bouncing on the floor by his feet with an echoing noise. "My… it… I didn't mean…."

Dave scowled, disgusted by this entirely shitty situation and slowed by pain, as he raised his sword. He was not going to allow Gamzee to get a second wind; as it was, his side was pretty messed up, judging by his difficulty inhaling. Definitely a fractured rib or two, at the very least. He wasn't certain he could dodge any more real attacks. So then he was swinging, surprised despite himself that the Capricorn wasn't going to defend himself against the blow.

He was far more surprised when his blade was stopped, though, the sound of metal meeting metal ringing in the air.

"What the fuck is wrong with you assholes?!" Karkat snarled, both hands needed on his sickle's hilt to stop the katana from decapitating his friend. "This is really what you nooksniffing oafs do when I'm not around?!"

"Karkat?" Dave breathed, red eyes staring behind his shades. "You're awake."

"Of course I'm fucking awake! I could sense the stupidity and had to come out, like _always_, to stop you idiots from fucking something else up! Gamzee, I swear to Gog, don't you fucking touch me right now, or I'll cull you myself." Dave wasn't quite sure how the other knight knew his friend was reaching for him, but maybe he knew Gamzee well enough to guess what he was going to do. "Dave, if you would put your sword away, it would really be fucking great."

Drawing his blade back, Dave didn't sheathe it, eyeing the clown warily as his free hand went to his side. He wasn't exactly thrilled by the turn the day had taken, but he supposed as long as Karkat was awake, things could be worse. And considering the small troll had dealt with the lunatic clown before, perhaps he did know how to handle him without anyone dying.

Well, he certainly didn't seem scared of Gamzee, turning around on his heel, throwing his weapon to the floor as he stormed towards him, a tiny troll filled with righteous fury. "How dare you! I am your fucking moirail, you ignorant, sopor-chugging imbecile! How fucking high were you, that you thought _what you did_ was okay?!" Karkat's fist met the other boy's nose, and Dave winced at the crunching noise. Gamzee, however, remained obediently still, vibrant blood dripping over his lips, eyes wide and begging on his friend.

"I'm motherfucking sorry, Karkat."

"Sorry?! You're fucking sorry?! Well, I guess that's more than you were for murdering Nepeta and Equius, so that's fucking something, isn't it?!" Gamzee staggered back when Karkat shoved him, and Dave's eyes widened, before narrowing again. He was acting: Dave had been pushed by Karkat before, and it really was not enough to make the larger troll move. Hell, he hadn't even been able to get him to move. Gamzee was letting Karkat do this. "And then you kept me asleep?! What in the fuck, Gamzee?! Don't you fucking pretend otherwise, with that stupid fake expression! I know you did it! How the fuck long was I asleep because of those ass-backwards powers of yours?!"

"I didn't think you'd be asleep this long," Gamzee started, the first defense he'd offered, only to have Karkat's claws rake down his cheek, drawing blood.

"I don't care what you thought! Has your slime-rotten thinkpan ever come up with anything even remotely similar to a good idea?! No!" It was almost comical, considering the size difference, how unfazed Karkat was by Gamzee, how willing he was to bring him back down to his level through sheer anger. "It's fucking incredible that you're even capable of surviving on your own, considering every fucking time you try to do something beyond routine, you fuck it up beyond recognition."

Dave's eyebrow quirked as, as Karkat continued spewing hatred, Gamzee slowly lifted a hand, bringing it down carefully to the top of his moirail's head.

"Shoosh."

The smaller troll nearly choked on his cuss, blinking in surprise, before his eyes narrowed again.

"No, you worthless sack of purple shit, I have every fucking right to be angry, and you are not going to -"

"Shoosh."

"I… stop touching me. Stop touching me, Gamzee, you're so fucking -"

The older troll gave a heavy sigh, drawing his moirail against his chest, tolerantly allowing his red-blooded companion to punch him as hard as he could. Unfazed, he rubbed the other boy's horns fondly, getting punched harder in response. "Shoosh, best friend. You need to calm the motherfuck down. Being so angry isn't gonna help you get better."

"You're such an asshole!"

"That doesn't sound motherfucking calm, Karbro."

"Fuck you!"

"This is cute and all," Dave broke in, a hand still pressed to his ribs, trying to ignore his issues breathing. "But Karkat isn't exactly in any state for this."

"Fuck you, too!" Karkat snapped, bristling. "I'm not a wriggler, Strider, I can handle this on my own!" As if to prove this, he made a very impressive attempt to pry Gamzee's arms off him, and got absolutely nowhere. Evidently now that the clown had him back, he was reluctant to release him. "Get off me, you cull-happy douche, I'm still pissed at you."

"But I'm real motherfuckin' sorry," Gamzee rubbed his cheek on the top of his prisoner's head, only to get rammed in the chin by a dull horn. If it had been anyone else, it would have made him bleed, but Karkat's horns were far too rounded to cause any real damage, smearing purple in the dark hair. "I didn't want to be hurting my pale bro, bu -" He broke off his sentence abruptly, grip tightening on the mutant in his arms. Before either knight had any idea why, a growl was rumbling up through his chest, and his lips had drawn back to show off sharp fangs. It was actually very intimidating, especially with rich blood staining his mouth from his wounded nose.

"_Makara_!"

Oh. Well, that explained his sudden defensiveness. The roar of a chainsaw announced Kanaya's arrival, and instantly Karkat's entire demeanor changed, from furious to desperate, turning into Gamzee to shove him as hard as he could. It wasn't very hard, given his limited space to move, crushed to his moirail's chest, but an effort was made. "Get out of here, asshole! I'm not going to let you two hurt each other!" The older troll ignored him, clutching him tighter, offering a snarled threat to the sylph in front of him.

"He's motherfucking _mine_." Gamzee ignored the shriek of embarrassed rage from his friend, glaring hatefully at Kanaya, claws digging into Karkat's sides through his shirt.

"You cannot honestly believe that," the Maryam snapped, scowling. "Karkat is clearly uninterested in a flushed relationship, Gamzee. If you have any respect for your moirallegiance, you will let him go this instant." Dave only managed not to smirk at her motherly scolding because he was pretty sure he was going to pass the fuck out; he hadn't realized how fucked he was at first, but he was dizzy enough that the wall was the only thing keeping him semi-upright. Definitely some broken ribs. Fingers crossed nothing had been punctured.

"Gamzee," Karkat winced as the highblood's nails punctured skin, hissing a curse before continuing. "You promised you wouldn't hurt anyone else! Just fucking go, please, you can find me later, I swear."

For a second it seemed like Gamzee was going to ignore him. But then Terezi's shout came from around the corner, along with Rose's voice, and he let out a frustrated growl. Still, it was almost sweet, the chaste kiss he pressed to Karkat's mouth, the lingering touch to his wounded shoulder, and then he was gone with a speed Dave couldn't even follow with his eyes. Possibly because his eyes were closed, and he was taking a nice little nap against the wall.

Rad.


	5. Proxy Moirail

It was hectic after Gamzee disappeared, the more healthy of the heroes trying to take care of the substantially less stable knights, ignoring Karkat's protests that he was fine now, he wanted to help. Yeah. Absolutely not. Kanaya restricted him to babysitting duties, mainly so she could keep an eye on both of them at once, placing him next to Dave and cleaning his newly broken open shoulder once more.

It took hours for anyone to leave, and honestly, Karkat couldn't expect differently. But considering he'd literally had no time to process anything – the Strife he'd interrupted, his own attack, what he even planned on doing about Gamzee – he would have loved having a bit of time to himself. Nonetheless, he put a fairly brave face on, stubbornly refusing to consider his shit life until the rest of the group trickled out.

Kanaya had made him promise to call one of them if he heard Gamzee, but he knew she didn't believe he would, and he was pretty sure he could expect her to join them partway through the night, if she wasn't camped outside the Strider's room already.

Waiting till he was sure she was gone, the troll offered the silence a heavy sigh, drawing his knees up to his chest, leaning back against the side of the bed.

_Your fault._

This was so fucking ridiculous; why had Dave had to try to go up against Gamzee? No way was it going to end well, and now look at him. He was in bed with broken ribs and a horrifying black bruise stretching his entire side. Jegus fuck, he was such an idiot.

_Your fault._

If Karkat had been stronger, though, none of this would have happened in the first place. He could have held off Gamzee, he could have stayed awake, why couldn't he wake up? He rationally knew it had been a side effect of those creepy highblood powers the Makara had, but he still felt he should have been capable of opening his eyes and taking responsibility of his own safety, instead of pushing it all on his friends. It was his fault Dave was hurt, because he should have been protecting himself. He really wasn't any better than a wriggler hiding behind his lusus: why wasn't he strong enough to keep himself and his friends safe?

_Your fault._

Gamzee had always been weak to urges. Of course he'd be a fucking mess around mating season, Karkat should have known to avoid him. It was stupid, stupid, stupid to go see him, and he had deserved what he got for doing it.

_Your fault._

Why wasn't he stronger?

_Your fault._

Why couldn't he protect himself?

_Your fault._

Why couldn't he protect anyone?

_Your fault._

Pathetic.

Karkat wasn't even sure when he started crying, muffling it with his arms, face buried between them. He hated, _hated_ Gamzee, but he hated himself more. Why hadn't he been capable of screaming for help? He was such a coward, more concerned with pride than safety, and it was _all his fault. _He deserved this for his stupid mutated blood, and his stupid lack of strength, and his stupid inability to keep any of his friends from harm.

He was a fucking failure.

Everything was his fault.

"Dude," Dave's voice made him freeze, and he gave a choking sob when a hand found its way to the top of his head, patting him gently. "It's not your fault."

Oh. So that had been out loud.

"You're not even supposed to be awake yet," the Vantas muttered, refusing to lift his head. "Rose said those painkillers would knock you out."

"Rose says a lot of shit that probably isn't true," the Strider snorted, amused, fingers tangled in his friend's thick black hair. "But she did say you'd do this."

"I'm not doing shit. Go to sleep, you assuming fuck." He coughed a bit, choking on tinted tears.

"Dude, I heard you."

"You heard hallucinations brought on by your toxic human medications, probably."

"Probably not." The bed creaking, coupled with a low groan of pain, implied the Strider was sitting upright. It was proven when Karkat felt a leg on either side of him, Dave sitting on the edge of the bed behind him.

They settled into a comfortable silence, the Strider running his fingers through the coarse mane of hair, Karkat sniffling into his arms. He was almost ashamed – almost. It had been ages since he'd had a proper feelings jam; even before this, Gamzee had been distracted, almost distant…but not. He wasn't unwilling to be close, but he was just more interested in that, and less so with ranting, or listening to rants.

He'd certainly never expected Dave to be willing to act as a proxy moirail, but here he was, determined to calm him down, despite having no idea what the fuck to do. Well, that made two of them. Karkat just wanted to curl up and go to sleep again. Maybe when he woke up this whole fucking nightmare would be over, because he honestly had no idea how to handle it. It had been sweeps since his chest felt this painful, when he'd felt like this massive of a fucking mess. He'd thought he was done with this. Why had Gamzee gone and fucked everything up all over again?

Another whimper escaped him, and the hands stilled in his hair, before tugging gently. "Dude, come up here. We're both tired, and you can't sleep down there."

Karkat desperately wished he could summon a snarky reply, but it was just so exhausting to think about. And honestly, he didn't really want to be an ass, even if it was more or less his entire personality. "I'll hurt you." He hated bringing it up, because he really would love to join him, but it was true. It would hurt Dave's sides to have someone in bed; fuck, sitting up like this for all this time probably hurt, anyway.

"Don't be stupid. Get up here." Dave rolled his eyes, for once not hidden behind his glasses, which were resting on the table next to the bed. He could definitely deal with a little bit of pain if it meant he could keep an eye on the stressed troll; at least it meant he wouldn't be able to interact with Gamzee without waking him up.

That was enough to break his will; he really did crave the comfort, and if his friend was willing to give it, who was he to look a gift hoofbeast in the mouth? Scrambling up with Dave, he was immediately curled up in the human bed, eyes shut tightly. Within moments he was wrapped in Strider and blankets, warm and finally feeling a semblance of safety.

When Kanaya opened the door, she paused, leaning against the frame briefly. She couldn't help but smile, lifting a hand to hide it, thoroughly amused by the obviously wide-awake Dave holding the Vantas. He was clearly uncomfortable, but he just rolled his eyes, offering a semblance of a shrug. What could he do? Karkat was clearly content, clutching handfuls of shirt, face buried in his friend's chest. Yeah. He probably wasn't being mindful of the sore side, but clearly Dave was willing to allow it, so Kanaya didn't see an issue with it. Anyway, it was adorable.

Offering a quiet goodnight after inquiring to any needs, she flicked off the light, turning away and shutting the door behind her. Things were obviously under control, and she could join her girlfriend in bed without waking up every few minutes in a cold sweat.

Gamzee, however, was far less pleased with the sleeping arrangements.

As stated before, Karkat was _his_.


	6. Laying Claim

_author's note: this story continues to get more and more fucked up and i am so terribly sorry for that. _

* * *

_You are mine._

Karkat's brow furrowed, eyes shut tightly against the unsettling dreams circling through his mind, the invasive presence in his thoughts.

_Mine_.

He shuddered, burying his face in the pillow, an attempt to hide from something he couldn't escape.

_MINE_.

The Vantas gasped, jerking upright and making Dave groan in discomfort as he suddenly yanked himself free of his grip. Shoving his bangs out of his eyes with a shaking hand, Karkat struggled to breathe properly, mind still echoing with his moirail's claim.

"You okay?" Dave asked sleepily, struggling to keep his eyes open. The painkillers Rose had been feeding him were taking their toll, keeping him in a near constant state of exhaustion. Days after the incident, she was slowly weaning him off them, as the bruising on his side changed from dark and hateful to yellow and sickly, but they were obscenely strong and kept the Strider somewhat out of it almost all the time. That first night had probably been the only time in a week that he'd been coherent.

Still, despite his obviously confused state, Dave was still Karkat's primary babysitter. Or maybe he was Dave's. Either way, both boys were restricted to each other's company, with the occasional visitor. Which wasn't so bad, except Karkat was aware he wasn't trusted to be on his own, which hurt a fair amount. He wasn't a wriggler. He didn't need Kanaya to act like his Lusus, and he certainly didn't want to be locked up "for his own safety".

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep." It didn't take much convincing before the blond was snoring again, an arm thrown over his eyes, evidently believing him at face value. Remarkable, and definitely a statement of the strength of drugs, considering Karkat had been practically hyperventilating moments before.

Still, the troll couldn't complain, standing carefully to keep from disturbing the other knight. Okay. So obviously Gamzee was frustrated. Unsurprising, considering Karkat had promised to see him again if he behaved, and the Vantas had been unable to fulfill his promise. Nonetheless, that was no excuse to be harassing him in his dreams! And shouldn't he be fucking sneaky about this shit? He really was obscenely obvious with his stupid highblood powers; probably lack of practice.

Offering a deep sigh, Karkat scowled. He had to go see him. His stupid asshole of a moirail was far too unbalanced to be allowed to remain unwatched for any lengthy period of time, and this was really pushing it. It wasn't actually a surprise that he was haunting his sleep: he was probably getting antsy, waiting for days without any sign of visitation.

Quietly, the knight opened the door, slipping out into the hallway. He would keep it brief, and to the point. Scold him again for his terrible behavior, shoosh pap him a bit till he settled his stupid clown ass down, and then return to the room before anyone knew he was gone. There. A fucking flawless plan. Hopefully Gamzee would cooperate.

Karkat was nearly out of the more lived in area of the meteor when he heard Kanaya's shriek of frustration, muffled by distance, and he cringed despite himself. Oh, fuck. He was so in for it when he got back. Which was absurd, he assured himself; Gamzee was out of his Heat, so there wasn't any reason to avoid him. And even if there was, he could make that choice for himself, right? He was almost an adult. Keeping the Makara sane was his responsibility.

Still, he was well aware Kanaya would physically restrain him if necessary, so he broke into a run in the opposite direction.

Karkat hadn't gone far, though, before his arm was grabbed roughly, hauled inside the dark doorway to his left, and he cursed in surprise, trying to regain his balance. "Fuck, Gamzee! You could have fucking warned me, I was coming to find you, anyway." Glowering as he rubbed his probably bruised arm, he recognized his douchebag of a friend still hadn't put makeup on, which didn't bode well. Nor did the strangely solemn look on his face. Hrm. Well, too late now to run.

"Motherfuckin' sorry." Gamzee mumbled, hands by his sides, and Karkat scowled, averting his eyes. Wow. He was cutting to the chase quick, wasn't he?

"Yeah. I know."

"No!" The Makara sounded physically pained, stepping forward, regret evident on his face, arms extended. "I'm really motherfucking sorry, Karbro. I don't want to hurt my motherfucking best friend."

Karkat started to reply, to reassure him that while he was a massive douchebag, he still thoroughly pitied him, when he paused. Don't? Like, as in present-tense? He was still considering that when Gamzee's arms wrapped around him firmly, and the red-blooded teen narrowed his eyes, staring at his friend suspiciously. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I just want you to be mine," the taller boy sighed, and Karkat stiffened in alarm as he felt the first signs of the other male's presence in his mind.

"Gamzee, don't you fuckin-" the command was cut off when agony suddenly ripped through his skull, knees giving out almost instantly, choking on air. The Capricorn simply tightened his grip, lips pressed in a grim line, evidently determined to see this through as he settled them both on the ground, the smaller troll on his lap.

_YOU ARE MINE, MOTHERFUCKER._

Karkat struggled to inhale past the pain, trying to scream, only to have that shut down quickly with a command for silence. The Vantas let out a noiseless sob, muscles twitching uncontrollably as his moirail forced himself inside his mind, digging deep into his think pan and laying claim.

_LOVE ME. YOU WILL LOVE ME._

Gamzee refused to pay attention to the smaller troll struggles, though he could feel him spasming helplessly in pain, physically rejecting the aggressive mental intrusion. Not totally a shock; the dreams had been uncomfortable enough, and Gamzee had really only brushed over his thoughts to send those 'gentle' messages.

_SUBMIT TO ME. YOU ARE MY PROPERTY, MOTHERFUCKER, AND YOU LOVE IT._

But he had to focus. Focus was necessary for this to work, considering his lack of skill in the area. If he were Kurloz, he could have made this painless, but as it was, this was the full extent of his abilities. He was pouring every ounce of his knowledge of chucklevoodoos into this. Keep it simple, keep it firm. Karkat was strong, he could handle this.

_YOU ARE MINE IN EVERY MOTHERFUCKING WAY._

Was that simple? He wasn't sure. But flooding his friend's mind with the desperate warmth of his flushed feelings was certainly calming the Cancer down, though his voiceless cries continued, mouth wide in a wail no one could hear and tears still drenching his face.

_**ONLY MINE.**_

He could feel Karkat caving around him, his think pan absorbing the forced emotions easily. The more clear commands weren't being taken as well - Gamzee couldn't honestly say he was surprised, Karkat had always been rather reluctant to take orders - but they were still latching on. Rooting through his thoughts again - and sending the Vantas into a fresh bout of convulsions, eyes glassy with pain - he confirmed that the red warmth of unwilling love had taken root, right next to the sweet, pitying paleness he was so familiar with, and his own burst of affection swelled in his chest. Karkat was his, now. Always.

_**Mine**_.

Withdrawing from the mutant's mind, Gamzee pressed apologetic kisses to the other boy's red-streaked face, guilt settling in as his friend quivered, echoes of pain still racing through his small frame. "Shh. You're motherfuckin' fine, don't be getting worked up. I'm done, I motherfucking promise." Had it worked? Now that he was out of his friend's thoughts, he felt unsure. Had it really sunk in as well as he'd hoped? He hoped he hadn't damaged anything by accident, but he hadn't much a choice, he felt. He wanted Karkat to love him, to adore him. He needed him to love him.

"F-fuck youu," Karkat snapped through his tears, but Gamzee was hard pressed to take him seriously when he pushed up against him, clinging and desperate for some sort of safe haven. How motherfucking adorable. But instincts were hard to ignore; of course he would seek comfort with his moirail, even if he was what caused his pain to start with.

Lifting his friend's chin gently, the Makara pressed a chaste kiss to the other boy's quivering lips, sweet as spun sugar, other arm still firmly wrapped around him. "I really didn't want to motherfucking hurt you, Karbro." As the Vantas opened his mouth to offer a no-doubt scathing response, Gamzee intervened, claiming his lips once more. The second kiss was instantly heated, rough and desperate and bruising, and he was thrilled beyond belief when Karkat automatically returned it, instinctively responding to his matesprit. The Makara purred in satisfaction, swiping his tongue along his friend's lower lip before pulling back, an entirely smug grin on his face.

Karkat seemed somewhat less satisfied with himself, breathing hard, dazed expression slowly shifting to horror. "What did you do?" Still, despite his displeasure, his head tilted to offer the larger troll easier access as he nuzzled into him. Gamzee pressed a fond kiss to the mark on his shoulder, ever so pleased that it made his ownership evident. "What the fuck did you do to me, Gamzee?!" His shaking began anew, the realization of the tampering settling in as his body submitted to the bard's slightest touch. Oh, God. No, no, no, no. Kanaya had been right. He should have stayed with Strider. Oh, God, no, what did Gamzee do?! This was beyond influencing flushed emotions. _What had he done?_

Gamzee raised his head again, offering his beautiful motherfucking matesprit a lazy smile.

"Made you mine."

Motherfucking miraculous.


End file.
